1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to filter cleaning devices. More specifically, the invention is a pool and spa filter cleaning device which requires minimum effort to assemble and use.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various devices have been devised for cleaning pool or spa filters or other objects such as paint rollers, etc., primarily to reduce contamination and the work required for clean-up or maintenance. Although of secondary importance, the level of difficulty required to assemble a particular cleaning device for the mechanically challenged, has been on many occasions the sole reason for one abandoning the idea of purchasing a cleaning device for reusing filters or paint rollers at all. In the pool and spa industry, for example, reusable filters are unfathomable to say the least, because the task required for cleaning these elements is messy and labor intensive. Not only is clothing often ruin from various chemicals such is chlorine, bromine, etc., but there are medical concerns as well.
A user often runs the risk of contracting various skin irritations or conditions from various bacteria prevalent in pool and spa filter systems. As with reusable paint rollers, the time and effort required by the novice or professional alike to clean these or similar objects have proven to be costly and inefficient. Thus, only one having a significant amount of experience working in either of the aforementioned industries would know the particular advantages of using a cleaning device which aids in producing clean filters or paint rollers without the problems noted above. The filter cleaning device according to the instant invention is simple to use and cleans and spin dries filters or paint rollers with minimal effort required by a user to do the same with similar conventional devices. A number of U.S. Patents and other documents have been reviewed in this particular technological area, however, these documents fail to provide the advantages of the instant invention as herein described.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,060 issued to Spivey discloses an apparatus for cleaning paint rollers comprising a housing, an unadjustable central mount for a paint roller and a base with a central hub having a plurality of vanes which rotate in response to a jet of water. An interior wall portion of the housing has mounted therein a water input system. This water system includes a cylindrical channel disposed perpendicular and in parallel with a respective roller. A plurality of apertures are uniformly disposed along the length of the channel for producing a respective single stream of water to a particular area on a roller. This type of system often suffer from clogging from paint dispersion within the device. In addition a user would be required to constantly clean the device to prevent clogging or paint hardening within various apertures.
The filter cleaning device according to the instant invention avoids these particular problems in that it does not require a housing or a water system as disclosed by Spivey. Furthermore, the filter cleaning device according to the instant invention is an adjustable filter cleaning device for filters of various lengths. The following U.S. Patents and respective Foreign documents taught by Smith (U.S. Pat. No. 3,873,364), Phipps (U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,928), Howe (U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,769), McDowell (U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,869), Glunt (U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,027), Wallis et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,808), Stanley, Jr. et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,002) and Ward (WO 93/24337) disclose similar features to that disclosed by Spivey and are of general relevance to the filter cleaning device according to the instant invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,283 issued to Lang discloses a filter cleaning apparatus which works based on a similar principle to that taught by Spivey, except the device is a filter cleaning device which cleans filters used in carburetors of internal combustion engines. Unlike the water system for the device taught by Spivey, the filter cleaning device of Lang requires an additional tank connection for receiving cleaning fluid and an additional means for transporting the fluid within the filter and water system housing. These features are obviated by the filter cleaning device according to the instant invention, in that, it is a stand alone device which does not require complex water system connections.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,384,045 issued to Chmielewski et al. discloses a filter cleaner for swimming pools comprising a journal for rotating a filter about a vertical array of nozzles. Water spray action occurs within the housing and sprays radially outward towards an interior wall of a respective filter. This device is completely different from the device taught by the instant invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,065 issued to Bradley discloses a cartridge filter cleaning rotatable rack which has similar features to the filter cleaning device according to the instant invention. A vertically positioned cartridge filter is securely mounted onto a rotatable wash rack and is held in a stationary mode as the frontal exposed area is washed clean by a hand held jet-nozzled water hose. The filter unit is then revolved via a rotatable holding plate. One critical feature lacking in this particular filter cleaning device, but taught by the instant invention is the use of a coupling means for adjusting the filter cleaning device to accommodate various filters lengths. In addition the base is designed to maximize the volume thereby reducing moment induced toppling of the device directly related to filter size and forces produced by water pressure jets.
The filter cleaning device particularly for pool and spa filter systems is different from the prior and related art, in that it provides simple and easy adjustable filter cleaning device for filters having different length dimensions. A threaded male and female post are coupled as a single combination post for retaining filters centrally disposed within a base. The male post is disposed within a central aperture which maximizes the volume of the base to reduce moment induced toppling of the device. In th regard, none of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus, a filter cleaning device solving the aforementioned problems is desired.